USA Locksmith / Rip Off

We were moving from Germantown, MD to Plano, IL when I got locked out of our new house. I grabbed the rental car key and not all of my keys to move my car into the garage. As my husband was not flying in until the next day, I needed a locksmith to get into the new house. Since I was desparate and did not know the area, I had sprint mobile pick the first locksmith they could find which was usalocksmiths. What a mistake that was. First, their dispatch could not find our house and was asking for roads around it of which I had no clue since we were just moving to a new state. Second, they stated that they assigned me a technician which would be there in about 45minutes which was about 45 minutes after I had first called. When that 45 minutes was up, they called stated that the technician claimed to not have received the job order and they were sending out a technician that was much closer but the lockout fee was $255.00 when they originally quoted that it was going to be $55 plus labor. Soon after getting off the phone with them that time, that technician called stating that he was at least 60 minutes away and had no clue where the house was as they just stated a route number the house was off of rather than a street address. I agreed to the later time since I really had no choice. When the locksmith showed up, he looked at the lock and stated that it was a high security lock and therefore he had to drill the lock out. This was a lock leading from the garage to the house and doubted it was a high security lock. However being female, alone and in a strange town, I agreed. After he drilled out the lock, he told me just drilling out the lock was $255 so that was the only thing he was planning on doing in any case. He installed a new door lock which cost $189.00. He rekeyed the lock so it matched the front door. All in all, it cost over $600 dollars to get back in the house which is exorbiant. I am originally from the DC area so I know when I am getting screwed. Unfortunately, USA Locksmith does not realize that I have worked in law for the past 10 years and will vigorously pursue this. I have already launched my first tirade at sprint for having the listing in their service for such fraudulent services. I urge you never to use their services.

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HOW TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST "PHONY LOCKSMITHS"
Below are links to various news outlets, consumer protection agencies and state Attorney General offices addressing the issue of "phony locksmiths". The story is familiar in many states: an out-of-state company hires a number of unscrupulous individuals in the area to sub-contract its work using assumed business names, fake addresses and phone numbers. Many times consumers have been over-sold, under serviced, or just plain lied to!

The Illinois Attorney General filed criminal charges against a New York locksmith operation for setting up phony storefronts with unlicensed individuals practicing locksmithing that lead consumers to believe they were dealing with local companies. The action was successful, and the company was ordered to pay thousands in restitution, to cease operations and to no longer do business in the state under a new name or any of the 25 different names the company had been using in local telephone directories!

ALOA encourages locksmiths who are facing this same situation to go to their state's Attorney General who can take the appropriate legal action against these fraudulent companies. ALOA recently sent a letter to all Attorneys General urging them to pursue this matter in their state. For a copy of that letter, Click Here . To contact your state's Attorney General, go to Click Here .

ALOA is also empowering you to take immediate action when these fraudulent operations show up in your city. Click Here for a Press Release that you may send to your local print and broadcast news media outlets. Make sure you put in the date and the name of your city in the highlighted areas.

Home News Center BBB Warns Consumers of Nationwide Locksmith Swindle :You may have been a victim and not even know it
7/10/2007

Arlington, VA – July 10, 2007 –Better Business Bureau (BBB) today is warning consumers to beware of untrustworthy locksmith companies that are ripping off consumers across the country.

Victim complaints to BBB reveal that several locksmith companies, all using similar methods, are significantly overcharging consumers, charging consumers for unnecessary services, using intimidation tactics, and failing to give refunds or respond to consumer complaints.

“Ironically, these companies operate under names like ‘Dependable Locksmith’ but in reality they exploit the vulnerable situation of consumers who are locked out of their house or car, ” said Steve Cox BBB spokesperson. “We’ve found that some locksmiths have made taking advantage of consumers’ misfortune part of their business model.”

Complaints about locksmith services to the 114 BBBs serving the U.S. increased almost 75 percent from 2005 to 2006, and have continued to come in steadily during the first half of this year.

BBB has identified Dependable Locksmith – which operates under more than a dozen different names – as a particularly disreputable locksmith. This company poses as a local locksmith in cities across the country and advertises in the yellow pages using local phone numbers and fake local addresses. A consumer might think they’re dealing with a local locksmith but their phone call is actually connected to a call center located in the Bronx borough of New York City.

Consumers are quoted a reasonable price over the phone but when the locksmith arrives – typically in an unmarked vehicle – he demands significantly more money than originally quoted, often only accepting cash.

A complaint from Cleveland, OH, where Dependable Locksmith was operating under the name “Superb Solutions, ” alleges the company quoted fees of $39 and $84 for separate jobs, but the bill ended up at $471, which included add-on fees such as a $65 breaking in fee and a $58 fee to uninstall old locks.

Another complainant reported that the locksmith sent to let her into her car demanded she pay twice the price quoted over the phone. The locksmith offered to drive her to an ATM to get cash – feeling unsafe the victim refused. The victim was ultimately forced to write a check made out personally to the locksmith as he would not let her into her car until she did so. She cancelled payment on the check the next morning, but eventually filed a police report after the locksmith harassed her with continuous phone calls about payment.

BBB has also heard many complaints from victims who say they were charged for unnecessary services. For example, complainants suspect locksmiths sent over by Dependable Locksmiths of pretending they couldn’t simply pick the lock so that they could charge more and install all new locks in homes.

Another locksmith contractor fleecing consumers is Liberty Locksmith. Similar to Dependable Locksmith, it poses as a local locksmith and runs full-page yellow pages ads with multiple phone and address listings. The phone numbers appear to be local, but connect to a national call center in New York, while the addresses end up belonging to other established businesses in the local area, or are simply non-existent.

Liberty Locksmith had been a BBB member in Tulsa, OK, but during normal BBB member validation processes, it was discovered that the addresses provided by the company were false. In June 2007, BBB terminated the membership of Liberty Locksmith for providing false information in its membership application and providing misleading advertisements to the public.

Like Dependable, Liberty Locksmith uses common cons such as quoting one price over the phone, but then charging significantly more on site.

“These companies are very good at posing as trustworthy locksmiths, ” said Mr. Cox. “Before you find yourself in the unfortunate position of being locked out of your car or house, do your research and find a truly dependable locksmith in your area. Ask around and always check with your BBB first to find reputable businesses.”

Consumers who feel that they’ve been taken advantage of by Dependable Locksmith, Liberty Locksmith or others, can go to www.bbb.org to file a complaint with their local BBB.

About BBB
BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 126 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring nearly 4 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about BBB.